ChromeOS customers, discover ways to use these hidden browser window controls, and discover out why you’ll wish to use them.
ChromeOS affords a number of methods to effectively place home windows, which implies for a lot of functions you received’t must manually transfer or resize browser home windows or Android apps. The controls allow you to quickly make a window full display, half-screen, partial display or float in entrance of different home windows. While these controls work for all browser home windows, not all Android apps resize easily. If you employ Android apps, you’ll must experiment to study which of them you may place and dimension as desired.
The sections under cowl other ways to manage ChromeOS home windows in your Chromebook, adopted by widespread makes use of for every configuration.
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How to pick a window place on ChromeOS
Your Chromebook helps you to management browser or app positioning with a devoted key, a mixture of keys, drag-and-drop snap controls and a considerably hidden positioning possibility.
1. Dedicated ChromeOS full-screen key
Use the ChromeOS full-screen key to make a window or app full display (Figure A). Tap once more to return to the prior window placement.
Figure A
Make a window or app full display with a faucet of the full-screen key on a Chromebook keyboard. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
2. Keyboard controls
Press alt+[ to snap a window to the left half of the screen, or alt+] to snap a window to the appropriate half of the display (Figure B).
Figure B
Hold alt+[ or alt+] to snap the chosen window to the left half or proper half of the display, respectively. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
3. Window drag-and-drop
Place your cursor anyplace within the empty house in a browser tab (e.g., between the + image so as to add a brand new tab and the down-arrow that lets you search tabs), click on after which drag the window to the intense left or proper facet of the display (Figure C, prime and decrease left). Release when a shadowed grey space seems, and the window will resize to fill the chosen half of the display (, decrease proper).
Figure C
Select anyplace within the empty house of a window (e.g., the world of the pink rectangle), then drag the window to the facet of the display till the grey portion shows. Release, and the window snaps to the left-side, as proven within the decrease proper. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
4. Window snap controls
Move the cursor over the window management icon (Figure D). Four choices show:
Split, which affords two equal-size window placement choices: left or proper.
Partial, which affords two window choices, with the left one bigger than the appropriate one.
Full, which makes the window full display.
Float, which resizes the window to a comparatively small dimension and locations it in entrance of different home windows.
Move your cursor to any of the six accessible positions, then click on or faucet to pick it. The energetic window will resize as chosen.
Figure D
Place your cursor over the window management icon, then choose any of the grey panel areas exhibited to resize and reposition the energetic window. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
How to decide on the window dimension that fits your work on ChromeOS
ChromeOS supplies varied window choices which are appropriate for a wide range of duties, whether or not you search the smallest window dimension (a floated window) or the most important (a full display).
Try a full-screen window for centered work
Some duties — similar to writing in Google Docs (Figure E), devising a enterprise mannequin in Sheets or getting ready a presentation in Slides — lend themselves to single-screen work. A full-screen window shows solely the duty it’s essential to full, which may cut back the temptation to modify to a different tab or window. The visible presence of tabs with Gmail, Facebook, X or information websites might be distracting. Switch to full display to remind your self that it’s best to do nothing else in the meanwhile however work on the duty in entrance of you. (And, sure, full display home windows additionally work nicely while you wish to watch a video or play a sport.)
Figure E
Full-screen home windows work nicely for centered actions. Screenshot: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
Split display works nicely for comparisons and reference
Split-screen home windows on a Chromebook might be useful when one incorporates an energetic app and the opposite shows reference materials (Figure F). This might be useful for duties similar to writing, analysis or evaluation, the place you’re employed on a doc on one facet and seek advice from knowledge in a number of browser tabs on the opposite half of the display. Split display can also be useful for project-related actions, with a calendar or activity supervisor app open in a single window and electronic mail in one other.
Figure F
A break up display setup helps you to work in a single window whereas referencing content material in one other. Screenshot: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
Partial window options one exercise extra prominently than one other
More Google information & suggestions
The partial window possibility provided has a left-side window that fills roughly two-thirds of the display, with a narrower window to the appropriate. Like the split-screen possibility, this configuration is most helpful while you wish to show an app and reference content material side-by-side.
The partial window association might be helpful for conferences. When concerned in an internet assembly, it may be helpful to put Google Meet within the bigger, left-side window, with notes or a reference doc within the window to the appropriate (Figure G). This setup not solely emphasizes the visible nature of your assembly but in addition ensures related content material is out there at a look.
Another use of the partial window setup is when it’s essential to use an internet site that doesn’t absolutely perform when half-screened. Unfortunately, even in our fashionable period, some web sites require a wider window to show all accessible knowledge or menu choices. In this case, place that web site within the bigger portion of the window to the left and work with one other energetic utility or be aware app within the narrower right-side window.
Figure G
The partial window configuration makes one window bigger than the opposite, as proven right here with a Google Meet window (left) and a Google Docs window (proper). Screenshot: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
Float a window for electronic mail or notes
When you choose the float window possibility, you get a small window that “floats” in entrance of different home windows. This might be helpful for note-taking with an app like Google Keep or for drafting an electronic mail as you seek advice from content material within the background browser window. With Google Keep, simply choose float and you’ll work along with your notes — for Google Keep both on the net or the Android app — within the float window.
Figure H
You could make the Gmail compose window right into a float window: Hold down the shift key and choose the pop-out arrow (left), then choose the window management icon and select float (proper). Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
For Gmail, there’s a two-step course of: Select Compose as typical, then maintain the Shift key to “pop” the window out (Figure HFigure HFigure I, left). Next, transfer your cursor over the window management icon after which choose Float (, proper). You might now write your electronic mail within the window because it floats in entrance of different home windows in your Chromebook ().
Figure I
With the Gmail compose float window open, chances are you’ll browse to and open different websites within the background. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic
Mention or message me on Mastodon (@awolber) to let me understand how you employ the assorted ChromeOS window controls for work.